Best of BISJ: Create micro goals for higher long term success

Best of Back in Skinny Jeans: Originally posted September 9, 2008-----------------------------------

Better Than Nothin' is the concept that doing something even if it is minuscule is better than doing zero. One thing that can help you achieve long term success is the concept of creating micro goals, tiny tasks that are easy and effortless yet still contribute to achieving your bigger goals.

For example, in the list above, we've all set goals that look like the "typical" column, and what ends up happening for many of us is that we are gung ho for the first week or so, and then we start to slack off the list. Can anyone say New Year's resolutions?

It's not that we don't have good intentions or desire, it's just that over time the changes start to feel "too much" or "too restrictive" etc, and really sometimes they truly can be like if you try and go completely gluten free when you used to eat gluten products 3 times a day, every day of the week. That kind of dramatic change triggers the Inner Resistance Monster.

When you create micro goals, mentally your brain starts thinking things like, "This is a piece of cake. This won't take me long at all. I can easily do this between meetings." When it feels easy, you're more likely to do them, and even thought they are tiny tasks, the effort will add up over time, and again, it's better than nothin!

Besides weight loss, you can use micro goals for things like job hunting, de-cluttering, financial planning, or networking.

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Best of BISJ: Create micro goals for higher long term success

Best of Back in Skinny Jeans: Originally posted September 9, 2008-----------------------------------

Better Than Nothin' is the concept that doing something even if it is minuscule is better than doing zero. One thing that can help you achieve long term success is the concept of creating micro goals, tiny tasks that are easy and effortless yet still contribute to achieving your bigger goals.

For example, in the list above, we've all set goals that look like the "typical" column, and what ends up happening for many of us is that we are gung ho for the first week or so, and then we start to slack off the list. Can anyone say New Year's resolutions?

It's not that we don't have good intentions or desire, it's just that over time the changes start to feel "too much" or "too restrictive" etc, and really sometimes they truly can be like if you try and go completely gluten free when you used to eat gluten products 3 times a day, every day of the week. That kind of dramatic change triggers the Inner Resistance Monster.

When you create micro goals, mentally your brain starts thinking things like, "This is a piece of cake. This won't take me long at all. I can easily do this between meetings." When it feels easy, you're more likely to do them, and even thought they are tiny tasks, the effort will add up over time, and again, it's better than nothin!

Besides weight loss, you can use micro goals for things like job hunting, de-cluttering, financial planning, or networking.